Claudia Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former mayor of Mexico City, secured a landslide victory in her nation's elections on Sunday, achieving a significant milestone. She became the first woman and the first Jewish person to be elected president of Mexico.
At 61, Ms. Sheinbaum triumphed in what authorities described as the largest election in Mexico's history, featuring the highest number of voters and the most seats up for grabs.
This landmark vote saw two women competing to lead one of the hemisphere's largest nations. It places a Jewish leader at the forefront of one of the world's largest predominantly Catholic countries.
Ms. Sheinbaum, a leftist, ran on a platform of continuing the legacy of Mexico's current president and her mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. This delighted their party's base but raised concerns among detractors. Many viewed the election as a referendum on López Obrador's leadership, and her victory signaled a clear vote of confidence in him and the party he founded.
Mr. López Obrador has significantly transformed Mexican politics. During his time in office, millions of Mexicans were lifted out of poverty, and the minimum wage doubled. However, he has also been a highly polarizing president, facing criticism for failing to curb rampant cartel violence, for undermining the nation’s health system, and for persistently weakening democratic institutions.
Despite these controversies, Mr. López Obrador remains highly popular, and his enduring appeal helped boost his chosen successor. Even with the numerous challenges facing the country, the opposition could not convince Mexicans that their candidate was a better choice.
“We love her; we want her to work like Obrador,” said Gloria Maria RodrÃguez, 78, from Tabasco, about Ms. Sheinbaum. “We want a president like the Obrador.”
Ms. Sheinbaum won with at least 58 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results, showing her at least 29 points ahead of her closest competitor, Xóchitl Gálvez, an entrepreneur and former senator who ran on a coalition of opposition parties.
(The New York Times)
